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Updated January 10, 2024·
In making a decision between the Acer Nitro 17 and the Gateway 15.6", consider the following: The Acer Nitro with a larger screen is better for gaming and productivity tasks but will be heavier and more cumbersome to carry around. In contrast, the Gateway is more portable due to its smaller size, making it a better choice if mobility is a priority. You should expect longer battery life from the Gateway, which is beneficial if you're often away from power outlets. If performance is key, especially for demanding tasks like 3D rendering or engineering software, the Acer Nitro likely delivers better results with its potentially higher-spec components. However, this would usually come at a higher price point. Make sure to weigh how much you value portability, battery life, performance, and budget when making your choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Nitro 17
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 15.6"
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
7.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
5.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
The Acer Nitro 17, with a robust CPU and RAM, is well-suited for demanding tasks and includes a high-quality screen, but its larger size and weight reduce portability, and it has modest battery life. The Gateway 15.6" also offers a solid processor and memory for general use, and benefits from better portability due to its lighter weight and smaller dimensions but tends to compromise on speaker and screen quality for reduced cost.
Gaming and AI
7.4
6.0
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 outperforms the Gateway 15.6" in gaming and 3D applications primarily because it has a superior Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, which offers smoother visuals and better gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
7.9
6.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Acer Nitro 17 provides superior performance for engineering and design with a more powerful main processor and GPU, which are crucial for such tasks, and it has a higher refresh rate display that can provide smoother visuals, although it is less portable due to its larger size and weight. The Gateway 15.6", on the other hand, offers less power in its CPU and GPU, leading to a fair experience in the same tasks, and its lower quality screen may affect fine detail work, but it gains points in portability being lighter and more compact.
Content Creation
7.8
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 17 and Gateway 15.6" are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 17 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.4
6.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Nitro 17 is good for software development, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
7.4
6.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 17 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 17 likely has a screen with higher resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general use and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate could disappoint gamers who need smooth visuals. Whereas the Gateway 15.6" offers a sufficient display for everyday tasks and running design software, neither laptop excels in gaming or 3D applications due to their subpar refresh rates. Despite being acceptable for various tasks, professionals and enthusiasts in engineering, design, and gaming might seek more specialized screens with broader color gamuts and faster refresh rates for optimal performance.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 15.6" has good portability, while the Acer Nitro 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
5.1
The Acer Nitro 17 has good build quality, while the Gateway 15.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$970
$100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Nitro 17 has a price of $970 and the Gateway 15.6" costs $100.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Nitro 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The Gateway 15.6" has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
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How the Acer Nitro 17 and the Gateway 15.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 17 | Gateway 15.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$970 | $100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 11.6'' x 1.1'' | 14.8'' x 9.5'' x 0.77'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.83 lbs | 4.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.77" | 14.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.59" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 250 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.6/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 17
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | October 2023
"The Acer Nitro 17 isn't an exceptional gaming laptop; it's kind of chunky even among 17.3-inch notebooks, with a lackluster keyboard, and it doesn't outperform comparably priced machines. But there's a lot to like about it, including a good array of ports, a screen that's sharp and bright for work and play alike, and battery life that soundly beats the competition. All this comes at an affordable price. If size and weight aren't big concerns, you'll find the Nitro 17 a dependable big-screen gaming rig. If you crave higher quality, consider a slight step down or up in screen size with the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 or Alienware m18 respectively."
Gateway 15.6"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | July 2022
"Some concessions have to be made when shopping for a budget laptop. Walmart's Gateway Ultra Slim laptops succeeds on the affordability front and delivers serviceable specs and good battery life, though it's hard to claim it's the best (or even particularly good) at any particular aspect. Its build quality, especially the touchpad, is mediocre, and its performance is decent but doesn't lead the way. The Gateway does undercut the cost of some competitors and offers ample storage with good connectivity, so it's not to be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 17 or the Gateway 15.6"
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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